albright



(N0 Moaei. 2 SheetsSheet 1. S. ALBRIGHT.

WINDMILL. No. 338,816. Patented Mar. 30, 188.6.

f T T (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

S. ALBRIGHT.

WINDMILL.

No. 338,816. Patented Mar. so, 1886.

(hairs STATES PATENT OFFICE,

SAMUEL ALBRIGHT, OF NEVADA, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO \VILLIAM ALBRIGHT, OF SAME PLACE.

WINDMILL.

EBIPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 338,816, dated March 30, 1886.

Application filed December 23, 1885. Serial No. 186,558.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL ALBRIGHT, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Nevada, in the county of Vernon and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in \Vindmills; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention consists in certain improvements in windmills or wind-engines, the object being to produce a windmill or wind-engine for operating pumping and other machinery which shall be simple, and therefore cheap, in construction, is capable of securing and transmitting the maximum amount of power from a given force of wind, has no parts to get out of order in ordinary usage, and can be readily applied to an ordinary barn or building.

The wind wheel is composed of two or a greater number of upper and lower rims or rings, vertical sails or slats pivotally supported between the outer top and bottom rims or wheels, and a series of either pivotal or rigid sails or slats having bearing between the inner rims or rings, a central hollow hub or disk, radial arms or spokes extending therefrom and bracing the several sail-supporting rims, a hollow shaft connecting the wind-wheel and a supporting-tower, a tower having a drive-shai't-guiding block or plate, a vertical- ]y-adjustable drive-shaft connected at its upper end to the wind-wheel and at its lower end to the mechanism or machinery to be operated, a disk loosely mounted upon the hollow shaft with capability of vertical reciprocation thereon, and having a depending sleeve with which is connected the upper end of a governing'rod, for the purpose of securing the raising and lowering of said disk, a series of radial arms or rods extending from said disk to and connected with a series of short bars carrying rods which are attached at their outer ends to the outer series of pivotalsails or slats, whereby upon said disk being reciprocated through the medium of the governor-rod the arms connected to the short bars and outer slats will be either drawn inward or projected outward,and said slats either closed or opened, as it may be desired to either stop or regulate the speed of the rotation of the wheel or permit of its full operation.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure1 represents a sectional elevation of my improved mill and tower as adapted for pumping water and securing the automatic opening and closing of the wind-sails. Fig. 2 representsa top plan View of the wind-wheel viewed from the top. Fig. 3 represents a detail perspective view of a portion of the wheel and its connections. Fig. 4 represents a detail view showing one method of adapting the drive-shaft to transmit rotary motion to machinery, 850. Fig. 5 represents the mill adapted for pumping and another method of securing the adjustment of the sail-governor rod. Figs. 6, 7, and 8 represent the detail views.

In the drawings I have represented the mill or engine as connected, through the medium of a hollow shaft, to a tower; but in cases where it is unnecessary to use a tower the same can.

readily be dispensed with, my improvements being designed to that end. For instance, the hollow shaft, which is non revoluble, can readily be connected to the roof or any other suitable upper portion of a barn or other building within which the mechanism to be operated is contained, or from which a connecting rod may pass from the drive-shaft to a pump or other mechanism to be operated exterior of the building.

The Windwhcel, as shown in the drawings, is provided with an outer circumferential series of pivotal slats or sails and a single row ofinner slats; but it is manifest that the number of inner rims or rings and of the series of inner slats may be increased as desired without departing from my invention.

A represents a tower or other suitable support for the wind-wheel B.

0 represents a hollow shaft, which at its lower portion is connected in any suitable manner-such, for instance, as by clampsto the tower or roof of a building extending upwardly therefrom a suliicient distance to permit of its passing through the hub of the windwhee], and thus connecting said wheel and tower or building together in a verysi'mple yet effective manner, enabling the wheel and the drive-shaft,'to be presently described,to be very readily connected with, and when desired, detached from the tower or building, thereby adapting the same for very general use without necessitating the employment or building of expensive supporting structures. D represents a shoulder on the upper portion of the hollow shaft,upon which the under face of the hub of the wind-wheel rests and rotates. I

The wind-wheel is constructed as follows: E F represent two or more upper rims or rings, and G H two or more lower rims or rings, each having around their circumferen 0e holes'or bearing slots or recesses I, to receive the pivot pins or bearings J, of the outer row of sails or slats, K, and the bearing or retaining pins L of the inner row or rows of slats,M. N represents the central hub of the wheel. This hub is hollow or has a passage-way, O, therethrough, to permit of the passage therethrough of the upper end of the drive shaft P, the upwardly-projecting end of which is retained in position with capability of the easy revolution of said shaft within the hollow shaft 0, by a key, Q, passing through a hole in the outwardly projecting end of said driveshaft or by other suitable means.

Connected to or formed integrally with the hub,and projecting radially from both the top and bottom portions thereof, are a series of '35 arms, R S, bolted or otherwise firmly connected together at T, so as to brace and strengthen the same. The outer ends of these arms either extend at right angles therefrom and transversely across the inner face of the 40 circumference of the wheel to the top and bottom rims or rings thereof, respectively, as shown at U V, and from thence transversely across the outer faces of said rims or rings, as shown at W, and are riveted or otherwise secured to such rims, or the arms R S may be formed separately from and attached to the portions U V W, clamping the wheels rims or rings together; or the outer clamping portions W may be formed separately from the remaining portions and connected thereto by screws, rivets, or other means, as desired. In either arrangement it will be observed that the respective series of sails or slats are securely supported between the upper and lower rims 5 or rings, and said rims are securely clamped together and firmly braced to the hub N, thereby producing a very strong yet light wheel without any unnecessary assemblage of parts. v

To the inner face of each outer row of pivotal slats or sails is attached a rod, X, the inner ends of which are connected to short bars Y, having at their ends pivotal bearing within straps or plates Z, attached to the inner .615. faces of each pair of top and bottom bracingarms, R S

Depending from each bar Y is a lug or projection with which one end of a rod, a, whose inner endv is connected to aring" or collar, b, formed'on or connected to a sleeve, a, loosely mounted upon the upper end of the hollow shaft 0, below the shouldered portion thereof. drepresents-a circumferential groove formed in the outer face of this collar, with which engages the hooked upper end, e, of a governorrod, f, which depends downward therefrom within easy reach of the attendant, or so as to be readily raised or lowered by hand, or so as to be connected to devices for securing the automatic raising and lowering thereof. When the parts are in position and it is desired to close the-pivotal slats or sails and stop the operation of the mill, the raising upward of the gov ernor-rod f will force the sleeve 0 and collar b upwardly upon the hollow shaft and force" outward the rods a, attached to the collar b. These rods in their turn rock the several short bars Y, connected thereto, and cause them to pull the rods X inward, and thus close the outer row of slats. When, however, it is desired to set the mill going, the outer slats areopened by simply drawing down the governor rod, which act pulls down the sleeve 0' and collar b, and causes thebars Y to rock outward and push the rods X and the thereto-attached slats outward and open and thus bring said slats into position to be operated upon by the wind,

so as to secure the revolution of the wheel.

9 represents a collar, secured to' the driveshaft by a thumb-nut, h, for the purpose of ICC securing the vertical adjustment of said shaft, when desired, and also of securing it in position and affording a bearing above the stepbearing, upon which it may revolve.

'i represents a bearing block or plate, uponwhich the collar g has bearing and revolves.-

One mode of securingthe adaptation of my improved mill for the pumping of water and the automatic actuation of the parts governing the operation of .the mill is shown in Fig.- l of the drawings. In that arrangement j represents the tank or cistern into which the war a ter is pumped, which is in connection by means of an overflow pipe or opening, k, with an adjacent tank, I, of smaller capacity.

on represents the pump, whose piston-rod a is connected to one end of a wa'lking besm,- elbow-lever, or rod, 0, supported from or upon a timber, p, by a strap, q, and connected fitits other end to a crank, eccentric, or other suitable device on the drive shaft,,in order that as said drive-shaft revolves alternate reciprocatory movement shall be imparted to the beam 0, and the pump-piston correspond ingly reciprocated to pump water into the tank 7'.

T represents a float attached to the lower end of the governor-rod f, said float resting upon the surface of the water in the'sm all tank I, as shown. So long as the water within the supply-tank j remains at or above the required level governed by the position of the overflow-opening 7c, the float 1" remains at its highest position, and holds the governor-rod at its highest point, and thus holds the outer row of wings or sails closed; but so soon as the water within the supply-tank j by usage falls below the level of the overflow-opening, the water-level within the small tank is correspondingly lowered, and as a result thereof the float drops down, and, carrying with it the governor rod, causes mechanism connected with the upper end of said rod to open the outer row of sails and present them to the action of the wind, whereupon the wheel will be revolved and the pumping operation resumed, until the water-level in the tanks reaches the height where the float and governor-rod will be raised to again close said wind-sails.

In lieu of using the float, the governor-rod may, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, have a rack, s, bolted or otherwise secured thereon to engage with a dog or pin, t, secured to a hand-lever or to a beam, and actuated by a lever, in which case the governor-rod would be pushed up or pulled down by hand whenever it might be necessary to either close or open the Wind-sails, said rod being held for the requisite period of time in either position by the engagement of said rack and" dog or pawl. This latter arrangement is specially adapted for those cases where the mill is used for impart-ing rotary motion to machinery or other mechanism other than that for pumping water. In Fig. 4 of the drawings, one such arrangement for imparting rotary motion to machinery is shown.

By the construction of wheel and arrange ment of the wind-sails, herewith shown and described, the mill can, by reason of the employment of the hollow shaft-connection, be readily placed upon any barn or other building. The mill can run in the open air without any shelter. The maximum of power is secured from the force of wind, as the wind when it strikes the outer row of sails passes between the same to and similarly strikes the inner row or rows, and from thence passes across the wheel and strikes the sails on the opposite side, and from thence passes out to the surrounding atmosphere. By reason of the arrangement of parts portions only of the wind will be held when it is high and stormy, thereby insuring the rotation of the wheel at a regular speed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is l. A windmill having two or more circumferential upper and lower rims or rings, a circumferential series of sails or slats pivotally supported between the outer top and bottom rims, one or more series of sails or slats supported between the inner rims or rings, a central disk or hub, spider-arms connecting said hub and the slat-bearing rims or rings, and bracing the latter, a hollow shaft or sleeve connecting the wheel and the tower, a drive shaft passing through said hollow shaft, and

connecting at its upper end with the wheel bility of reciprocating thereon, radial arms or rods attached to said ring or disk, a series of bars connected to said rods and having connection with the outer pivotal slats or sails, and depending rod or lever connected to said ring or disk, for the purpose of reciprocating the same and the radial arms attached thereto, and thereby opening and closing the outer row of slats or sails.

2. A windmill having two or more upper and lower circumferential rims or rings, a series of slats or sails pivotally supported between the external rims, a series of inner slats or sails supported between the inner rims or rings, a central disk or hub having radial arms extending therefrom to strengthen and brace the said wheel and hollow shaft connecting the wheel and tower, a drive-shaft extending through said hollow shaft and connecting with the wheel, and operative devices connected to the outer series of slats or sails, whereby the same may be opened or closed, substantially as set forth.

3. A windmill having a wheel provided with an outer series of pivotal slats or sails and an inner row or rows of slats, rods, or arms connected at their outer ends to and extending inwardly from said outer slats or sails, and at their inner ends connected to a series of bars or beams, a disk having arms or rods radiating therefrom and connecting with said bars or beams and a depending sleeve, and means, substantially as described, connecting with said sleeve for reciprocating said disk and closing and opening the outer sails.

4. A windmill having a wheel composed of two or more upper and lower circumferential rims or rings, an outer row of pivotal slats or sails, one or more inner rows of slats or sails, all having bearing between the top and bottom rims or rings, a central disk or hub, and radial arms extending from the upper and lower portions, respectively, of said disk or hub, and extending across the respective rims or rings, for the purpose of bracing said wheel.

5. A Windmill having a wheel provided with a central hollow disk or hub, an outer IIO row of pivotal slats, and an inner row or rows of slats, means, substantially as described, for opening and closing said outer slats, a hollow shaft connecting the lower building or other support and the hub of the wheel, and a driveshaft passing through said hollow shaft and connected at its upper end to said wheel-hub. In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL ALBRIGHT. \Vitnesses:

W. G. BRATTON, WV. P. WHITE. 

